Printing machine



July 7, 1942. A. w. MILLS PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1941 INVENTORALBERT W M/LLS ATTORN EY Patented July 7, 1942 PRINTING MACHINE AlbertW. Mills, Endicott, N. Y., assignor to International Business MachinesCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June17, 1941, Serial No. 398,396

Claims.

This invention relates to printing machines of the record cardcontrolled type in which reciprocating type bars are employed.

The object of the-invention is to improve the operation of the type barmechanism so that higher operating speeds may be attained withoutsacriflc of any of the desirable features of former mechanism.

The type of construction to which the present invention is applied iswhat is known as an alphabetical type carrier used in electricallycontrolled accounting machines.

rier, type head, and zoning element, the zoning element and type headbeing individually and resiliently mounted on the principal carrier. Themain carrier is moved upwardly toward printing position and isdifferentially stopped by an interposer to select a type for printing.Due to the resilient connection, the impact of stopping is transmittedto the type head and zoning element through a spring, and the type headand element upon stopping of the principal carrier effect a slightoverthrow from which they recover before printing takes places. When thecarrier is to be operated at much greater speeds than heretofore, thestopping impact of the principal carrier will be greater and overthrowof the type head results as before. With the arrangement of the presentinvention, an interconnection is provided between the principal carrierand the zoning element, whereby the overthrow of the zoning element willbe restricted without interfering with the overthrow of the type head,which overthrow has a desirable cushioning effect.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a view of a type carrier assembly with partsof the controlling mechanism therefor,

shown.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the lower end of the assembly with theparts in relatively shifted positions.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts in differentpositions.

The type bar assembly is substantially the same as that shown in'myPatent 2,016,682 granted Such carrier is composed of three parts, i. e.the principal car-- October 8, 1935. Its arrangement, therefore, will bebriefly explained utilizing the reference characters in the patent forconvenient cros reference.

The assembly comprises a main carrier 44 suitably mounted for verticalreciprocation. Its lower end is connected by a link 49 to an arm 41which is pivoted at 46. A bail 4i oscillates about center 46 undercontrol of the usual cams. Thus, as the ball 45 moves upwardly, a spring50 rocks arm 41 clockwise to elevate the bar 48. On one edge of the barare teeth 5| which successively pass the nose of the pawl 52 which isnormally held out of the path of the teeth by a latch 53 which has aconnection 54 with the armature 55 of magnet 2|. The magnet 2| may beenergized as any of the teeth 5| approach the pawl 52, thus releasingthe pawlso that it engages a selected tooth and thereby prevents furtherupward movement of the carrier 48. Slidably supported on the carrier 48is the zone bar 63 which is normally urged downwardly by a spring 66,pins 64 riding in suitable slots in carrier 48 and serving to guide thebar and block 61 riveted to the carrier acting as a limiting stop.Abutting the upper end of bar 63 is the lower end 59 of the usual typehead 29 which is also slidably mounted on the carrier 48 urgeddownwardly by the spring 60. By means of so-called zoning" mechanism,the zoning bar 63 is differentially positioned on the carrier 48 priorto the upward movement of the. entire assembly. This differentialpositioning is effected through the cooperation of steps 10 in the lowerpart of bar 63 with a latch 69 pivoted on the main carrier 48. While thetype bars are in elevated position, the zoning mechanism as fullyexplained in the patent operates to ultimately position an arm (see Fig.2) in one o f three positions as indicated. As the carrier isdescending, a bail I24 is moved upwardly to its dot and dash lineposition and near the end of the downward stroke of the carrier thelatch 69 strikes the bail and is rocked thereby in a clockwise directionout of engagement with the steps 10. Thereupon, the springs 66 and 60move the member 63 and type head 29 downwardly on the car'- rier totheir lowermost position with respect thereto. Following the restorationof the parts, mechanism is operated to move the arm upwardly to one ofits preselected three positions and in doing so it engages an extension63a of the member 63 to move it upwardly'on the carrier 48. Thereafter,bail I24 is moved downwardly so that the latch 69 will rock intoposition to engage one of the steps to hold the member 83 and carrier 48in their relatively displaced relationship which they retain when thebar now ascends.

The foregoing is substantially the manner of operation as set forth ingreater detail in the patent referred to. For the purpose of the pres-.ent invention, the extension 83a of member 83 has slidably mountedthereon a dog 200 supported by Pills "I, 202 riveted to the extension.The pin 202 cooperates with a vertical slot in the dog 2" and the pin 2Mcooperates with an oblique slot.. The lower end of the dog is offset toextend under the extension 63a of member 63 as shown in Fig. 3, so thatwhen the member 63 has descended, arm 85 is moved downwardly and itmoves the dog 200 up against the extension 83a from the position of Fig.4 to that of Fig. 2-. This has the eflect of rocking the dog about pin202, so that a tooth thereon is withdrawn from notches 203 in thecarrier 48. Fig. 2 shows the position of parts with the arm 95 in itshighest position. As the bar rises from this position, the dog 20!!under the influence of a wire spring 204 secured at one end to theextension 63a and at the other to the dog will rock into the uppermostnotch 203. As shown in Fig. 4. the tooth on the dog fits loosely intothe notch, that is, there is a clearance at both upper and lower edgesof the tooth. The reason for this is as follows: In the upward movementof the type carrier at high speeds, the tripping of pawl 52 will eifecta sudden interruption of carrier 48. The inertia of the type head 29 andthe member 83 will, however, tend to cause these parts to continue theirmovement against the action of the springs 60 and 66, respectively. Thisoverthrow is desirable in that it cushions the arresting action of thepawl 52, but it is also desired to control and limit the extent of suchoverthrow without interfering with the overthrow oi the type head 29.This is taken care of by the relationship of the tooth and dog 20!) withthe notches 203.

Due to the clearance provided, the bar 63 may overthrow a slight amountsufllcient to cushion the shock of stopping. Before the actual printingoperation takes place, the parts will have rebounded to their originalrelationship with the parts in proper alignment for printing. It will benoted that the resilient connection between the carrier 48 and the typehead 29 through spring 60, as well as the connection between the carrierand the zoning bar 63 through spring 66, makes for a smoother andquieter op-' eration of the mechanism when the parts are restored bybail 45, that is,-as the bail 45 rocks counterclockwise to bring carrier48 downward, the carrier draws the bar 83 through the spring 66 and thetype head through the spring 60.. In

this case, the clearance provided above the tooth oi the dog 200 allowsa desirable amount of play so that the shock incident to picking up andretracting the type bar is cushioned by the springs up to the limitallowed by the clearance between the tooth and notch.

While there has been shown and lescribed and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the inventionas applied to a single modification,itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions andchanges in the form and details of the device illustrated and in itsoperation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a type carrier, means for advancing and returning thecarrier, a zoning element supported on the carrier, said element beingpositively advanced with the carrier, means for'interrupting themovement of the carrier during its advance whereby at high speed theinertia of the element will tend to cause it to overthrow, and meansinterconnecting the element and carrier for limiting the amountof saidoverthrow.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which means is provided foreffecting a relative diiIerential positioning of the zoning element andthe carrier and in which the interconnecting means is effective to limitoverthrow with the element and carrier in any relative position of thetwo.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which means is provided fordisabling the interconnecting means when the carrier is in its returnedposition.

4. In combination, a type carrier, means for advancing and returning thecarrier, an element mounted on the carrier for sliding movement in thedirection of its travel, a latch on the carrier for urging the elementtherewith in advanced direction, a spring interconnecting the elementand carrier for urging the element with the carrier in return direction,means for interrupting the movement of the carrier during its advancewhereby at high speed the inertia of the element will tend to cause itto continue its advance against the action of said spring, and meansinterconnecting the element and carrier for limiting the amount of suchcontinued advance.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4 in which the interconnecting meanscomprises a toothed latch pivotally supported on said element with v thetooth thereof entered into a notch in the

